Remember
by minasraye
Summary: Their last night before the final battle with Naraku has risen. They choose to spend the night together with the ones they love, and remember. (songfic)
1. Default Chapter

_Remember, I will still be here_

_As long as you hold me _

_In your memory._

_Remember, when your dreams have ended _

_Time can be transcended _

_Just remember me_

"Remember," she murmured, her brownish eyes fixed on his amber ones. "Don't ever forget that no matter what happens, I'm still here, always, and will always be there. For you."

"Arigato Kagome," he whispered. His rough, calloused hand raised to her cheek and caressed it softly. 'I wish I was smart enough to say more, but I'm not and I can't. I hope 'arigato' is enough for you.'

She smiled, revealing a broken smile. Teeth were missing. She was curious to see that he had to say next.

His amber eyes closed painfully. He bowed his head and kept his hand upon her cheek, praying that his hand would help him memorize her feel. The warmth in her cheek. The way her face felt as it smiled at him.

The castle. The bastard's castle was less than a day's hike away. They would face him tomorrow. Everything would be culminated in that final battle they would face. Tomorrow.

But until than, they had the night, and they had each other. They would live these few hours in a semblance of peace. Hoping against hope that all would survive. That all would see the sun rise again.

"Kagome," he murmured, his eyes still closed. "Can I spend the night with you?"

"Hai," she whispered. She wrapped her slender arms around his muscular waist.

"Do you mind if I hold you? Keep you in my tree with me?"

"Hai," she whispered, nodding her head against his chest.

"A... arigato Kagome," he stuttered.

He wrapped his strong arms delicately around her dainty waist. His haori tickled her bruised legs.

'Kagome. I'm so sorry that I let you get hurt," he thought fleetingly.

_Flashback_

_The large, ogre-like youkai raised the limp body of the unconscious Kagome to his eye-level. He roared triumphantly, pulling her closer to his gaping maw._

"_Kagome!" the hoarse voice of Inuyasha cried above the din of the battle._

_His silver and red-clad body flew over the heads of his fighting companions and aimed his large, glowing Tetsusaiga at the ogre's throat._

_The ogre was either slow or stupid, but it never saw the large fang that plunged deeply into its throat. The blur that was Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's bruised, limp figure._

"_Don't you die on me, onna no baka! Don't you die on me. I need you!" he murmured to her peaceful face._

_Pulling his sword free, he one-handedly wiped the blood from his sword on the grass, cradling Kagome with his other arm. Sheathing his sword, he stood and was about to leave the dying battle when he heard the ogre speaking._

"_N... Naraku... his castle... shore of west ocean... western lands... wants the... wants the... the hanyou," it panted._

_Inuyasha growled and stepped to the ogre. He'd been prepared to barbarically put it out it's misery, but it had finally passed on._

"_Naraku's castle is o the shore of the west ocean?" he asked to nobody in particular._

_He shook his silver head and looked down at the limp girl in his arms. She was laying like a child's doll. Sighing dejectedly, he curled her to his chest and leapt into the trees. He had to take care of her wounds. He couldn't let her suffer, couldn't let her injuries become infected. He couldn't help but feel partially responsible for her wounds. It was his fault. He'd allowed the ogre to get his filthy hands on her beautiful body._

_With faint tears in his eyes, he began to inspect her body, trying to judge the extent of her injuries._


	2. chapter 2

_I am the one star that keeps burning,  
__So brightly,  
It is the last light,  
__To fade into the rising sun  
I'm with you  
Whenever you tell,  
__My story  
__--Josh Groban_

_He inspected her neck, searching for blood from any wounds there. After insuring she was okay on her neck, he lifted her shirt and checked her stomach and back. She would be incredibly bruised, but there was no blood. Her legs were covered in blood and dirt. Some bruises were on her legs, but it was hard to tell what was dirt and what was blood and bruises. There was blood seeping through her once snow white socks._

_Quickly, Inuyasha pulled her shoe and sock off. Blood trickled from a cut on her ankle. Gently, he wrapped his large hand around her delicate ankle, intent on checking it for any muscles or bones that slid around that shouldn't have been. None did, and he breathed a sigh. Her ankle was only bruised or sprained._

_Sighing, Inuyasha removed his bloody haori and laid it to the side. He'd have to wrap her in it when he was done washing her. He had to cleanse her wounds. He had to find out how much of the dark spots were truly bruises and what was dirt._

_He leaped towards the river, holding her close and the collar of his haori in the other hand. He would protect her, no matter the cost. He'd come close to losing her this time and he wouldn't risk it again. _

_He reached the shore of a fast flowing river and stripped her bloody clothing off and laid her in his haori. Slowly, he removed his creamy yukata and hung it from the closest tree._

_Carefully, he lifted her and walked slowly into the river. He kneeled when he was knee-deep, allowing the water to run around her and cleanse her body. Cradling her with one arm, he gently rubbed her body clean, wishing he had some of her scented cleansing herbs to wash her with. He sighed, cursing himself for his incompetence and ignorance._

_When he was satisfied all the dirt was off of her body, he quickly left the river and pushed the water off of her body with the haori. When he was satisfied with his work, he wrapped the short, creamy yukata around her and leapt into the trees._

_He settled on a branch and cradled her limp form. He would not move until she woke up again. He would not let her get hurt; he would not let her suffer. He would not hurt her anymore. _

_As he watched her sleep, he couldn't help the thoughts of desire that swam through his head. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was, even if her face was marred with a swollen, discolored cheek. And he found that she fit almost perfectly in his arms._

'_By the kami, I love her. I really, truly love her. But how could she ever love me? Especially since I'm the one that let this happen to her?' he thought despairingly._

_As he lost himself in his thoughts, Kagome awoke. Her movement and sudden pained gasp brought him back to reality and he studied her face. For having been unconsciousness, her chocolate eyes were remarkably clear. She smiled a small smile at her hanyou protector and curled up against him._

That had been two days ago. Now, with Kagome's constant assurance that she was fine, they would set off for the castle in the morning.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered.

"Nani?"

"I'm afraid," she confessed softly. As she admitted her fear, she tightened her arms around his waist.

"Of what? I'll keep you safe."

"Hai, I know you will. But I'm afraid that once this is all over, we'll… we'll be alone again."

"You were never alone, Kagome. You have your friends and family. You're anything but alone," he murmured sadly. 'Unlike me who has never had any of those things until I met you.'

"You really don't understand, do you Inuyasha. I may have all those things, but I'm still alone. I'm so different from anyone else. Nobody else in my time is a true miko. Nobody else is similar to me. My friends and family may be nice, but they will never know the real me. You are the only person who knows the real me. Nobody else would ever be able to understand, to accept me as a miko. Do you realize I'm a freak in my own times? Nobody with true power ever comes out and tells everybody. Anybody! I don't fit in there. I'm not needed. I could never stay there and be happy," she finished slowly. She shifted so her forehead rested in the crook of his neck. "I'm only happy with you, Inuyasha."

"Ka-Kagome?" he stuttered. He didn't know the words to say to that. Without thinking, he tightened his grip on her and whispered softly, "I'm only happy with you, Kagome."

"Let's stop all of this. I want to spend tonight remembering you. Remembering everything. Can't we just do that?" Kagome asked softly.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said.

When she raised her head to look at him, he placed a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. A kiss so soft and loving that she would remember it, always. "Remember me. I'll always fight my way back to you. I'll fight against all the youkai from the hells to get back to you. And with this, I seal my promise," he whispered. Closing his amber eyes, he placed his lips in a more mature kiss, allowing everything he could to flow from his lips into her through her lips.

_emerald ash and xox.:Mandie:.xox: thank you for the reviews!i hope you enjoy this chapter as much! arigato!_


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